Nibbles

I've had two nibbles on Trigger's ad on Craigslist so far.  Unfortunately, they didn't end well.

The first person contacted me last week, and after much texting and one e-mail, I met mother and 20-year-old daughter (who the horse was for) at a local Starbucks, and after deciding they probably weren't rapists or murderers, led them to the barn, where Sweetpea was kind enough to meet me so she could be the demo rider.  She had a friend along with her, too, so the barn had a five more people than it usually does.

I got Trigger out and groomed him, along with the daughter's help and observation.  I lunged him so she could see his gaits and behavior while relatively at liberty prior to tacking him up.  He was a good boy, and while interested in a spot outside the pen, was obedient and didn't buck or do anything too "scary."  Then we tacked him up.  He was a little cinchy, which seems to be normal for him, but she didn't seem too put off by that.  Sweetpea wanted him in a snaffle, even though most of his experience to date has been in a hackamore, and he was NOT a fan of having the bit in his mouth.  He kept mouthing the bit, but wasn't TOO obnoxious about it.  Until I started lunging him with tack on, and he bucked.  I chalked it up to the stirrups hitting his belly and surprising him, and lunged him both directions until he seemed accepting of all the tack, and Sweetpea decided she was ready to climb on.

Sweetpea mounted up, and he seemed okay with the process and with just standing there, but as soon as she asked him to move, he crow-hopped.  AAAAaaaaaaargh!  She persisted so that he wouldn't see crow-hopping as a way to immediately dismiss the rider, but he was clearly not happy, and was swishing his tail.  When she did dismount, I lunged him both directions with the tack on, and while I don't have a good eye for it, Sweetpea said he seemed stiff in his hind end, and suspected his back is out again.  I can't SEE things like that well (I think horses' hind ends always look stiff and awkward), but could hear that his footfalls weren't even at the trot.

So...I told the mom and daughter that they were welcome to stay in touch if they were curious to hear how the chiropractor visit goes, but I wouldn't blame them if they didn't contact me ever again.  I haven't heard from them yet, and that was over a week ago.  I'm usurprised.

I do have a chiropractor appointment for Tuesday evening.  We'll see...  I'm hoping she'll be willing to stick her fingers in Trigger's mouth, because it's also been suggested to me that his issues could have to do with his teeth/mouth.  I stuck my fingers in up to the first few molars on both sides last night, and the surfaces and edges felt fine to me, but I'm not an expert and also didn't feel all the way back.